Stitch holder



April 15, 1969 lN D 3,438,223

STITCH HOLDER Filed Aug. 22, 1967 LORRAINE A. LINSTEAD United States Patent 3,438,223 STITCH HOLDER Lorraine A. Linstead, Rockford, Ill., assignor to The Boye Needle Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 662,375

Int. Cl. D04b 35/02 US. Cl. 66-1 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A two-way stitch holder which permits stitches to be knitted off both ends of the holder. The stitch holder includes a generally loop-shaped needle providing a pair of needle ends and means providing a releasable engagement between each of the needle ends. When the needle ends are released, the stitches may then be knitted ofi of either end as desired.

Background of the invention This invention relates to stitch holders for use in knitting. Stitch holders are commonly used in knitting an article to hold stitches in one part of the piece while another part is being knitted. Stitch holders are also useful in saving stitches when the knitting is interrupted before the article can be finished. When it is desired to continue knitting the stitches which are on the stitch holder, these stitches may be knitted off the holder, and for this purpose the stitch holder is usually provided with a needle-like end.

The difficulty with prior stitch holders is that the stitches can usually be knitted off only one end of the stitch holder. It is frequently desirable to remove the stitches from a different end of the holder than the end on which the stitches were inserted. For this reason, it is desirable to provide a two-way stitch holder so that the stitches may be removed from either end of the holder.

Other two-way stitch holders have been provided, but these holders generally include rather cumbersome end protecting means which interfere with the facility with which the stitches may be removed from the holder. It is also desirable that the end protecting means may be removed from the desired holder end with one hand so that the other hand may be utilized to hold a similar holder or knitting needle.

Summary 0 the invention The inventive stitch holder permits the stitches to be removed from either end of the holder. The needle ends can be disengaged from the end protecting means with one hand, and the protecting means will not interfere with the removal of the stitches.

Description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inventive stitch holder;

FIG. '2 is an end view of the stitch holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the stitch holder of FIG. 1; 1

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing one end of the needle of the stitch holder disengaged from the end protecting means;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the end protecting means;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the stitch holder with the end protecting means of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of an alternative embodiment of a two-way stitch holder;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the stitch holder of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the stitch holder engaged;

Patented Apr. 15, 1969 Description of preferred embodiments Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 10 designates generally a two-way stitch holder. The stitch holder 10 includes a generally loop-shaped or U-shaped needle 11 having a pair of needle ends 12 and a curved intermediate portion 13. Needle 11 is advantageously made of relatively resilient metal which may be permanently bent into the shape illustrated in FIG. 1. Needle ends 12 are preferably tapered to facilitate insertion of a row of stitches 14 on the needle holder and its removal therefrom.

The stitches 14 are retained on the stitch holder by end protecting means or end connector 15. End connector 15 is seen to be generally S-shaped and includes a relatively straight body portion 16 and a pair of hooked portions 17 extending from each end of the body portion 16, but in opposite directions. Each hooked portion is so shaped to provide a slot 18 with a generally round throat portion 19 and a restricted mouth portion 20 (FIG. 4). The slots 18 are relatively straight and extend generally parallel to each other but in opposite directions from the body portion 16.

The hooked portion is relatively resilient and the mouth portion 20 is somewhat narrower than the diameter of the needle 11 so that as the needle is forced through the mouth portion into the throat portion of the slot, the hooked portion is resiliently deformed outwardly and then returns to clampingly retain the needle within the slot 18. The diameter of the generally round throat portion 19 is slightly less than that of the needle 11 so that the throat portion frictionally engages the needle. This frictional engagement permits the end connector 15 to be selectively positioned radially outwardly of one of the needle ends 12 as illustrated in FIG. 4. With the end connector so positioned, the other needle end may readily be used for knitting without interference from the connector.

One of the needle ends 12 may be disengaged from the connector 15 by grasping both needle ends by the fingers of one hand with the slot engaging the desired needle end extending toward the thumb of the hand. By pressing the thumb downwardly against the body portion 16 of the connector, the desired end may be removed from the slot. Similarly, the end connector may be repositioned on the free needle end by one hand by pressing the needle end into the slot 18.

Once the desired needle end has been disengaged from the end connector, the stitches 14 may be knitted from that end. The stitches may be removed from either end regardless of the end on which they were inserted merely by pushing the stitches around the curved intermediate portion 13 toward the desired needle end.

The end connector 15' illustrated in FIG. 5 is also seen to be generally S-shaped and includes a body portion 16' and hooked portions 17'. Each of the hooked portions 17 is essentially a reverse bend and provides a slot 18' having a generally round throat portion 19 and a restricted mouth portion 20'. The slots 18 extend generally parallel with each other but in opposite directions. Again, both the mouth portion 20 and the throat portion 19 are preferably narrower than the diameter of the needle 11.

One of the needle ends may be disengaged from the connector merely by grasping the other needle end in the fingers of one hand and pushing the first end downwardly 3 by the thumb past the mouth portion 20 of the slot 18'. As the needle end emerges from the slot 18, the end connector is automatically forced away from that needle end by virtue of the downward force exerted against the body portion 16 of the connection, which bisects a line between the two needle ends.

The stitch holder 15 may also be closed by one hand after stitches have been inserted thereon by squeezing the needle ends together to bring the free end adjacent to the mouth portion of the slot and then allowing the resilience of the needle to force the needle end into the slot. For this purpose, the end of the hooked portion may advantageously be flared outwardly as at 21' to facilitate insertion.

Both of the end connectors 15 and 15' may advantageously be molded from plastic. Any plastic with suitable resilience to permit the needle to pass the mouth portion of the slot may be used. Alternatively, the end connectors may be formed from spring metal. When both ends of the needle are engaged by the connector, a closed stitch-holding loop is formed by the needle and the connector.

Other embodiments of the needle holder are illustrated in FIGS. 7-12. FIG. 7 illustratess a generally loop-shaped or circular stitch holder 21 having a pair of needle ends 22. The stitch holder 2-1 is preferably made of a relatively resilient metal and is bent so that in the unfiexed state the needle ends are separated as illustrated in FIG. 8, which is a top view of FIG. 7. In this position, stitches 14 may readily be inserted on either of the needle ends 22, after which the needle ends 22 may be brought together and crossed over each other as in FIG. 9. The resilience of the stitch holder 21 causes the needle ends 22 to press against each other in an effort to return to the unfiexed state, thereby maintaining the stitches on the holder and providing a releasable engagement between the ends.

Similarly, FIG. illustrates stitch holder 23 having a generally looped shape in the form of a triangle and including a pair of needle ends 24. In the unflexed position illustrated in FIG. 11, the needle ends 24 are separated, and after stitches 14 are inserted on the stitch holder, the needle ends may be crossed and brought into releasable engagement as in FIG. 12.

While in the foregoing specification, detailed descriptions of specific embodiments of my invention were set forth for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that many of the details herein given may be varied considerably by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A two-way stitch holder comprising a generally U- shaped needle having a curved intermediate portion and a pair of end portions terminating in tapered ends, and an end connector, said connector being releasably engaged with each of said end portions and including an elongated body portion extending generally transversely between said end portions and a pair of hook portions, each of said hook portions being provided with a slot extending generally transversely of said body portion, each slot opening in a direction generally opposite to that of the other slot and receiving one of said end portions between the associated tapered end and said needle curved portion.

2. The stitch holder of claim 1 in which said connector is generally S-shaped, said slots lying on opposite sides of said body portion.

3. The stitch holder of claim 2 in which said slots are provided by a reverse bend in said connector at each end of said body portion.

4. A two-way stitch holder comprising a generally U- shaped needle providing a pair of needle ends, and an end connector, said connector being releasably engaged with each of said needle ends, said connector including an elongated body portion and a pair of hooked portions extending from opposite ends of said body portion, each of said hooked portions being provided with a slot, each of said slots being provided with a mouth portion and a throat portion, said mouth portions being narrower than the diameter of said needle ends and being resiliently deformable to permit said needle ends to pass into and out of said throat portions, each of said throat portions being adapted to frictionally engage a needle end to position said connector radially outwardly of said needle end.

5. The stitch holder of claim 4 in which said slots extend generally parallel to each other but in opposite directions.

6. The stitch holder of claim 4 in which said connector is generally S-shaped, said slots lying on opposite sides of said body portion.

7. The stitch holder of claim 6 in which said slots extend generally parallel to each other but in opposite directions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,104,640 7/1914 Denner 66-118 1,691,527 11/1928 Sakurai et a1. 66-1 1,816,081 7/1931 Fowler 66-1 2,029,005 1/1936 Webber 66-117 2,454,493 11/1948 Upstill 66-1 2,539,479 1/1951 Robertson 66-117 XR 2,591,836 4/1952 Landon 66-117 2,644,324 7/ 1953 Spencer 66-117 2,655,017 11/1953 Scott 66-1 2,668,429 2/1954 Barsky 66-117 2,930,213 4/1960 Sorlie 66-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,128,684 1/ 1957 France. 1,176,266 4/ 1959 France.

874,763 8/ 1961 Great Britain.

RONALD FELDBAUM, Primary Examiner.

U.S c1. X.R. 66-116, 11 .7 

